Flashback: Highest 10-over total in IPL without hitting a six
Batters smashing sixes right from the start is a familiar sight in Twenty20 cricket. Such is the demand and nature of the format that a player has to go big from the beginning to provide a solid start to his side. The first six overs (powerplay overs) are the ones where a batter looks to make the most of the scoring by hitting all around the park. It is a rarity when a team fails to register a single six in the first ten overs but defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) recorded this unique feat recently in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Reigning champions GT wore a special lavender-coloured jersey to raise awareness about the critical issue of cancer in their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In game No. 62, skipper Aiden Markram won the toss, and the Orange Army elected to field first in Ahmedabad. Dashing youngster Shubman Gill opened the innings with wicketkeeper batter Wriddhiman Saha for the Titans. The home side got off to a bad start as the latter got dismissed for a three-ball duck in the very first over off the bowling of veteran seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Left-hander Sai Sudharsan joined Gill and both took charge to control the innings. After the completion of ten overs, GT reached a huge total of 103/1 with Gill batting on 64 off 32 and Sudharsan on 31 off 26. The duo didn’t hit a single maximum as it became the first-ever incident to take place in the IPL. Finally, after the first two deliveries of the 11th over, Sudharsan smashed Marco Jansen for a six off a no-ball. Gill’s first maximum came in the next over off the bowling of part-timer Abhishek Sharma. Sudharsan got dismissed for 47 off 36 with six fours and a maximum.
Right-handed Gill, who is enjoying a terrific 2023 in international cricket and the IPL, brought up his maiden century in the league. He slammed 101 off just 58 with 13 fours and a six. Shubman and Sudharsan hit a six each as the Titans’ innings included only those two maximums. They posted 188/9 on the board and defeated SRH comfortably by a margin of 34 runs.
